Hercules and Xena
by Lady Razeli
Summary: I think the title is self explanatory. Please leave a review this is one my favorite stories that I've written, so I really want to know what you think.
1. Chapter 1

Hercules and Xena

By

Lady Razeli

Chapter One

"Goodbye Hercules." said Gabrielle releasing him from his hug. He hugged Xena next.

"Goodbye old friend." Xena said as they stepped apart.

"Goodbye until next time." Hercules said.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Gabrielle asked going for another hug. Xena tried to give her friend a hostile look. She didn't like to see any other woman in his arms even if they were just friends.

"Yes, I promised my friend I'd meet them in thebes." said Hercules."Where are you two headed?"

"Potedia." said Gabrielle before Xena could answer. She had wanted to go somewhere else. She had no place in particular, but still.

"I don't want to go there." Xena said.

"Well Xena you don't have to go. It's been so long and you know how they get when it's been way to long by their standards." said Gabrielle.

"Exactly why I don't wanna go. I don't feel like hearing your father's mouth. I can just hear him now." Xena said.

"You know you don't have to go." said Hercules stepping in." You could always come with me for a little while. Until Gabrielle's visited her parents."

"What do you think?" Xena asked her.

"I think that's a good idea it'll save us from hearing their mouths." Gabrielle.

"You mean your father's." Xena corrected.

"Yea, but when shall you come for me?" Gabrielle asked."Two weeks?"

"No, you have to factor in travel time. It will take you a week to get there, and it's two weeks to thebes from here. So part of your first week visiting I'll be traveling, but a week after arriving in thebes I'll have to come back travel three weeks to get to Potidaea even by horse."

"So ok we'll give each other three weeks travel time. Your two weeks travel and my one. Than we'll stay in where ever we're headed for oh say three weeks tops right. Except I'll have been at home for a month." said Gabrielle.

"Six weeks because we have to include her traveling back." said Hercules.

"No seven, because it's three weeks travel from thebes to potedia. So she'll get their after a week of traveling than her four weeks begin part of that is our travel time. But after the first week of her arrival she can start counting three weeks. At the end up three weeks I'll need another three weeks to get back. So why don't I meet you in Amphipolis. It's only perhaps another weeks ride if I ride fast and pace Argo over the three weeks I take to get back." Xena said.

"Of course so we all pretty much except you Xena get a six week vacation." said Gabrielle. They nodded. Soon Gabrielle had her things and ready to set down the fork in the rode. Xena and Gabrielle hugged.

"Remember stay on the rode and avoid all possible dangers." Xena said.

"Xena I can take care of myself I'm an amazon princess." said Gabrielle.

"Yea I know, but still I worry." said Xena. Gabrielle nodded.

"Be safe out there." Hercules said getting another hug from her.

"Of course." said Gabrielle."See you guys in One month three weeks and half a day." They waved as she walked towards Potedia until she was out of sight.

"You think you should have told her that we can take a boat to get nearer to Thebes and cut off half of that travel time.

"No." Xena said.

"Yea, I was thinking the same thing." Hercules said as they turned around.

"So where too?" Xena asked.

"I don't know. I'm glad you realized that the friend I wanted to see was you." said Hercules.

"Well how could I not know it was clear as day when you suggested I travel with you until her visit was over."

"True enough." said Hercules. They were silent trying to figure out where to go.

"Why don't we go to our place. I haven't been there in so long." said Xena.

"Yea why not." Hercules said. Although he knew a valid reason as to why not. They got on Argo and turned her North. It was the same direction as Gabrielle. Not wanting her to follow they stayed well behind her. But than Gabrielle took the fork in the rode that went south and crossed paths with Potidaea. They continued north and turned off the rode at a certain point by the third day.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: There is a part in this chapter that sounds a lot like Lil' Kim's song 'How Many Licks' that is because I thought it'd be funny when I wrote this, so whatever other thoughts you may have you can stop. Now I do not own that song or its lyrics by the way.

Chapter Two

They went through some trees and came out on an animal made path. Footprints of animals all over it. There was a hard to see ditch on the rode, and it was very easy to get stuck in it and twist an ankle. In fact Xena had one time. It's what led to them finding this secluded place in the first place. They traveled for a day or so before they started into the forest again and went sort of up hill a bit. They found a clearing and made camp. They were silent. The whole trip they had been laughing and talking of old times. But now they were so close to their spot. The place they had first really undoubtedly made love among other things.

"Rabbits ready." Xena said. She had managed to pick to fairly good pieces of rabbit. Hercules ate some after thanking her.

"You know I don't know why you say you can't cook. Your cooking is good to me." said Hercules.

'Maybe because your the only one I've ever really cooked for.' Xena thought.

"I don't know maybe something's wrong with your stomach." Xena said. They laughed a little bit. Xena was known to be horrible at cooking. She could bake though better than her mother even. But truth be told she could cook, and besides her mother once when she first started. Hercules was the only one to taste her good cooking. He loved her peach cobbler more.

"No, I just think your a good cook when you either want to be or have to be." said Hercules. Xena shrugged. Still something was being left unsaid. Hercules knew it too.After dinner as they sat watching the stars he had to know. It was burning him up inside not to know. But Xena asked something else that was being avoided. He didn't know she knew.

"Could you pass me that stick." Hercules said trying to distract her. He was afriad she'd ask if he came up here to mourn Serena, which he had.

"So when's the last time you've been here?" said Xena not at all put off.

"After...after...Serena's funeral and we parted ways." said Hercules. He looked away from Xena.

"Hmm..I see." Xena said handing him the stick.

"Xena, I'm sorry I know you can't wait forever." Hercules said poking the fire.

"It's fine." said Xena staring down at the book she had just taken out. She never got much reading done when Gabrielle was around for some reason.

"No, its not. Your ready to take our relationship off hold and I go..." started Hercules.

"Marry another woman when we were technically still courting no I take that back not even courting because you gained my love." Xena said with a little venom.

"Yea, then I go and mourn for Serena in our place."said Hercules."I'm sorry and I suppose I just wanted to be near you again, but you were mad at me."

"Its over and done with now."Xena said. She looked at her book and realized she didn't feel like reading anymore.

"Xena...?" said Hercules. There was a couple of seconds silence. He thought it felt like an hour before she answered him.

"Yes?" Xena finally said. Hercules took a deep breath. It was the most important unasked question of the night.

"Xena do you still love me?" Hercules asked. He took another deep breath. He dared to look at her. He could see no emotion displayed on her face. After what seemed like an eternity had gone by she took a breath.

"I'm going for a walk." She pretended not to hear him. Xena stood up and left the campsite. She found another clearing and sat on the rock in the middle. She looked up at the stars. She thought about how they had parted until she was ready to be with him again. They had gone through a hard time and than when she was finally ready to be with him again he announced he was marrying Serena. That had hurt her so much. Gabrielle hadn't noticed to involved in her story. She had made it a point not to let her see the sadness or the heartbreak on her face or in her eyes. Than she had rejoiced when Serena died, but he had been so devastated so she'd had to wait. When she found out he had mourned that bitch in their special place. She was pissed, and she almost got over it only because she started to feel sorry for the bitch.

She had to give him another chance. She loved him to much not too. She loved him so much it hurt to be away from him. She lusted after him too. No man she invited into her bed when her and Gabrielle had different rooms could satisfy her the way he could. They didn't have his roughness or his gentleness at all. In any event she was left even more unsatisfied except that one man. He had a hurricane tongue like another guy she knew, and a big dick to rival even Zues's.

Before him she'd been a lot of places and seen a lot of faces. Ah hell she even fucked with different races. A ottoman boy his name was John. He had warrior women rules tattoo on his arm. He asked her if she'd be his date for the prom and he'd buy her a sword, horse, and a farm. Than there was a greek boy from down south use to like her to spank it and come in his mouth. Anthony he was roman he didn't give a fuck that's what she liked about him. He use to eat her from dark until the morining. Wrote to his girl and told her they was bonin'. Now this spanish papi use to be priest now he be suckin' her off during the week. And that dark dude she mentioned He asked her to call him King Kong. He had a dick like Mt. Olympus, and a hurricane tongue.

Now she was head over heels and only he could satisfy her. Or maybe she was just longing for him to satisfy her. Than she thought about it and realized her standards were just high for what was good sex. But she was off topic what she was trying to decide was whether or not she really wanted to risk heartbreak again. She did, but she would use their time together to evaluate him.

"To bad we'll probably be having sex by the second day." Xena whispered to herself. She sat for a few hours trying to strengthen her will to resist the temptation for awhile. She returned to camp without saying a word to him. She took out her bedroll and went to bed.

"Goodnight." She said. He didn't reply for a few minutes having been staring into the fire and hadn't notice her return.

"Goodnight." Hercules said realizing she was back.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

In the morning they talked little and walked deep into the forest until they came upon the river. They followed it more inland as it went up slightly. The forest was dense and humid in the hot summer sun. The forest had many natural fruits like apples, wild grapes, and blueberries. Others they had actually planted themselves. Hercules had a nack for growing all kinds of things in any climate. There were chestnuts to be found. They stopped by the river at Hercules' request. That night Hercules tried to find out her feelings again.

"Xena, please I need to know if you love me." Hercules said.

"What?" Xena asked. She sat up and looked across the fire at him. He sat up and looked at her. She had her coat wrapped around her half naked beautiful form. The straps of her chemise had slipped off her shoulders as well as her coat. Her long black hair spilled down blocking some skin from view. He tried not to look any further, but out of the corner of his eye he could see one of her long smooth legs. It was like she was posing seductively, but he knew it was all natural.

"Do you love me?" Hercules repeated regaining his voice. Xena didn't answer immediately. She was well aware of his roaming eyes and his question the first time he'd asked it. She didn't know what to say. So to give herself more thinking time. She covered herself more properly. Xena decided that she should give him a straight answer. But she had to know if he loved her first. If she spilled out all her emotions he could take advantage of that even though she didn't think that was who Hercules was.

"Do you love me?" Xena asked. It was Hercules turn to be quiet with thought and shock. He didn't have to think long to know that yes he did love her. He always had, and he knew that she needed to know this before she could ever announce her love to the world.

"Yes Xena I love you." Hercules said.

Before Xena could stop herself the three words that were always so dangerously close to slipping off her lips like water came pouring out." I love you."

"Than there's hope of us getting back together?" Hercules.

"Hercules I don't know, you broke my heart. I know we went through somethings, but when I was finally ready you were marrying a woman you just met. Not only that you went to our place to grieve for her. You shouldn't have done that."

"I know and I regret it." said Hercules."Please forgive me, and be with me again?"

"I've already forgiven you for me, but I won't forget." Xena said."But it could never work out now. We'd always be in two different places."

"I'll stay in one place." said Hercules,"You can still travel if you want too."

"I'll think about it and I'll give you an answer by the time our vacation is over." Xena said remembering what she had decided on the other night. They had avoided all relationship questions all day.

"Alright, I understand I can wait." said Hercules.

"That's what you said last time." Xena whispered as she laid back down.

"What?" Hercules asked hearing her say something.

"Nothing goodnight." Xena said.

"Goodnight."Hercules said.

"Hey look there's that huge oak with the tree house we built together remember." They could see it from a distance. They were getting closer to their home. They crossed the bridge.

"Almost there." Hercules said a little later. They had been walking in silence.

"Yep, look there's the lake." Xena said pointing to it. They continued walking until they reached the big oak. It was also by a huge lake with a water fall. The water came from the Strymon river, which ran by her home town and Salonica, which was half a day's walk or a whole day depending on how fast you walked from where they were. It was way quicker if you rode there.

"Yea, and the tree house is just up there." Hercules said

"I remember, let's spend the night here." Xena suggested looking at Hercules and than back up at the tree house.

"If that's what you want." Hercules said.

"It is." Xena said as she unsaddled Argo. This was one of her favorite places to relax of camp out. Unfortunately it was so far away the house, and she was weary of traveling. So this spot was perfect for them. It always had been.

"I'll go get the fire wood." Hercules said. Xena nodded. She climbed up into the tree and dropped the rope latter down before climbing up the rest of the way after getting their bags. She stood in the tree house looking around.

Hercules and Xena use to camp up there all the time watching the stars, making love, or even just to be high above the rest, and breath the fresh air. She looked around and spotted Salonica in the distance. If she looked pass the meadow where the strymon river cut through she could follow it to her home, but it was blocked by taller trees. She could see quite clearly the second half of the house they'd built. She could see it's barren fields where wheat could be grown, she saw the barn empty of animals, and she thought she could see the garden, but she wasn't sure.

She sighed as she remembered how she had dreamed of raising a family in that house with him. Now that was all thrown out the window when he married Serena or was it? She wondered if that could still be. She didn't know. The house had been made for a family not two people. They'd planted a peach and cherry tree to have an even wider selection of fruits for their family. They'd been so close to starting one, but things happened. A cool breeze blew her hair back out of her face. The warm evening sun shined on her face making her cheeks a little red. She looked like an angel. Xena's eyes sparkled.

Hercules returned with some logs for their camp fire. He set everything up before looking up ready to call her down see if she wanted him to hunt anything in particular. The forest was full of game. When he looked up she dazzled him. He couldn't take his eyes off her. He didn't just see Xena he saw the true goddess with in. That powerful innocent goddess that showed herself as the wind whipped Xena's black tresses behind her, redding her cheeks a rosy red. The sun seemed to make her skin have even more of a golden complexion.

Xena caught him staring at her. There was so much love and desire in his face even his eyes that she could hardly believe that his love for her was the same unconditional love she held for him. And she knew like her own love it just wanted to explode out into the open taking away the restraints of her mind. She licked her lips before flipping into the air. Scared forgetting she would not hurt herself he caught her. He spined her around until they were both dizzy and fell to the ground. They rolled happily into the grass. Xena landed on top.

"Nice catch." She said with a laugh. The laugh sounded like music to Hercules ears. He laughed too, and flipped her over, so he was on top. Soon they were kissing, but they stopped and laughed as he got off her. They laid there for a long time in each other's arms., Soon a light summer's rain started,and he pulled her up. He swung her around as they enjoyed the rain for a minute.

"I'll go catch some food." Xena said as he put her down and the rain stopped.

"Later let's go for a swim while the sun's still out to dry us." Hercules said. Xena thought about it, and than nodded for a minute. They swam half clothed for awhile. They got out of the lake, and dried off some. Hercules sat down under the tree as Xena went hunting.

"Oh damn." Hercules said as thunder boomed and lighting flashed. Rain started to pour down drowsing the fire. He looked around for Xena, before climbing up into the tree house. There was no roof, so all their things were of course soaked. He decided that it was time they added the roof for nights like this. He brought them down. Argo had taken shelter under the tree, but it wasn't much as the wind was picking up and blowing water onto them. Xena came back with two rabbits. She was breathing hard a little bit having run back.

"Damn it is raining hard." Xena said. She was shivering. She hadn't dried off as quickly as Hercules had earlier.

"Yea, I know." Hercules said putting a slightly dry blanket over Argo. Xena got the fire started again. They sat trying to get warm as Hercules cooked the rabbit. They ate. The rain started on and off. By the time the sun set though it was pouring down and Xena got no drier.

"Let's just go to the house." Xena said."We'd freeze to death out here." Hercules nodded. He'd convinced her into staying, saying the rain would stop at any moment. But he knew it was going to continue now. Xena saddled Argo as he packed their things up. He put out the fire as Xena mounted Argo.

"Let's go." Hercules said as he mounted behind her. She nodded and kicked Argo into a gallop. The house was a while away from the tree house. So they got soaked all over again. Hercules tried to give Xena some of his body heat, but he had very little himself.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Finally they could see the house. Xena smiled as she saw it. She could not wait to get into some dry clothes. Hercules hopped off first and than helped her down. She grabbed the bags and he went to put Argo in the barn. She went inside and took in the familiar smell that still lingered.

Shivering she went over to the fireplace and found the wood in the dark. It was obvious Hercules had restocked it before he left. She was shivering like mad as she managed to get a fire started. It lit up the room to reveal the bearskin rug she was kneeling on. She dropped their bags in a corner, but than stood close to the fire to feel it's warmth, before she went in the back room and brought some more logs to the front just as Hercules came in. He shut the door with very little difficulty.

"Hey come on let's get you into dry clothes." Hercules said seeing the blue around her lips in the dark. He took the logs from her, and set them down. He rubbed her arms with his cold hands to create heat as they went upstairs.

"Stop it doesn't work when we're both cold as ice." Xena said. Hercules stopped.

"Can't blame me for trying." Hercules said. Xena didn't even glance at the door next to their bedroom. Hercules did however, and a sad look came into his eyes. He masked it though when Xena asked him to light a few candles. He hurried downstairs, and got a candle. He lit it from the fire place and went upstairs lighting the hall candles on the way. He than lit the ones in their room. He managed to use the last of the wood in the room to light a fire in the fire place.

In the room was a huge bed they had both worked on together as a way to spend time together. She could have just left it up to him. At the foot of the bed was a trunk full of old weapons of hers or so he thought. She kept it locked, so he had no way of knowing that inside it was full of sexy lingerie and regular chemises. In the room there was also dressers made of oak just like the bed and trunk.

One dresser was for her and the other one was for him. There was also a vanity with a mirror he'd found in Athens, and just had to give it to her. They'd had to leave for a time, but when she came back he had just set it up. She liked it because he'd gotten for her.

"Are you ok?" Hercules asked seeing she was still shivered even though she had a dry undergarments, pants, and tunic on. She nodded and took her wet things downstairs. With some rope she hung their wet clothes to dry, before sitting down on the bearskin rug before the fire. She remained silent thinking of nothing as she slowly started to get warm. Hercules came downstairs and went into one of the back rooms. Than back upstairs. Neither of them spoke. He came back down again and went back to one of the back rooms. He set more wood by the fire from their supply of fire wood. Than he went to one of the back rooms again.

"Hey guess what I found." Hercules said.

"A blanket?" Xena asked not looking at him.

"Yes, but that's not what I'm talking about."

"Well I don't know." Xena replied quietly. He showed her a small bundle before wrapping a fur blanket around them both. Thunder clashed outside as it started to rain harder."What is it?" She look at him not seeing what he had held up.

"Close your eyes and no peeking." Hercules said."But is this better?"

"Yeah, a lot better thank you," Xena said."So what exactly did you find that I have to close my eyes?"

"Close your eyes, and I'll show you," Hercules said. She sighed and closed her eyes. He put a cloth in her hand. She opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly.

"Open the cloth up and see," Hercules said. Xena looked at him and than down at the cloth. Slowly she opened it, and held up a baby's rattle. She'd made the rattle for what would have been her second child. But this time she was going to be a mother to him or her. Hercules even talked about getting a six year old Solan at the time, and bringing him to live with them. But now Solan was dead, and so was that child. She'd miscarried at six months, and the midwife didn't think to look at the sex of the baby. Hercules had been trying to find a special plant that would help stop the miscarriage, but Xena couldn't hold the baby in and the baby wouldn't stay in. Besides that he or she was already dead she realized later. The baby didn't die after it came out. It died way before it came out.

"I thought I lost this," Xena said.

"Yeah, I know," Hercules said."I found it in a pile of blankets. You must have accidentally put it in there when it was your turn to do laundry."

"Probably," Xena said as she shook the rattle a little bit."What do you think we had a boy or girl?" She leaned back against him.

"I don't know, but I always thought we'd have a little boy first," Hercules said.

"Really, I always thought we'd have a little girl."

"We can always have both," Hercules said. Xena didn't reply. They sat in silence once more.

"You know before Solan died he wanted to come with me," Xena said.

"Yeah, but I got the feeling Gabrielle was leaving something out," He said.

"She was at my request. She left out that I told Solan I was his mother," Xena said. She felt like she could tell Hercules anything."The last thing he said to me was mother." A sadness filled Xena's heart as tears ran down her cheeks.

"It'll get better, remember how it got a little better for us both after the miscarriage," He said trying to comfort her.

"Its not the same and you know it," said Xena,"I just felt so empty after losing the baby, but now I feel like a part of me died." She cried, but than she stopped. Hercules was at a loss at the moment, but than decided that she probably just needed to cry. Usually women just felt better after they cried.

"Are you alright?" Hercules asked.

"Yea, I guess," Xena said wiping her eyes."It's just..." Xena sighed.

"It's just what?" Hercules asked.

"I miss Solan, and it hurts to have given a way a child and than when you finally come back into his life, a year later he's murdered by your best friend's demon child. And six years earlier you miscarried a child three months away from being born."

"I know," Hercules said trying to comfort her.

"And that's another problem right there. As a woman I know you'd never understand the feeling as much as I do, because your a man. I want you to try and understand, but than I don't, because when you try to understand you essentially make it worst nine out of ten times."

"Xena, I do understand," Hercules said understanding what she meant. He'd only fathered his children. He hadn't a womb to keep them warm and safe in for nine months before going though horrible pain, and giving birth. He knew women and children bonded during the months of pregnancy. Their pain was truly from the heart. No not the heart, but the soul. His came from his heart, but it hurt a lot worse when part of your soul died.

"Do you?" Xena asked. When she said it. She was asking him did he really understand her pain. Did his pain go as deep.

"My pain doesn't go as deep I understand that, and I know you feel like part of your soul has been taken from you just as I feel my heart has been ripped out when I lost every last one of my kids, Deinaira, and even Serena. And especially when we lost our child. It was like my second chance too." Xena turned away from him when he mention Serena. She wiped a tear off her cheek.

"From my understanding you have a big heart. Only you I can believe can understand my pain, but others ... Sigh ...gods I know it'll never happen." Hercules remained silent. He wished he understood her pain more. Than maybe she wouldn't be compelled to cry as she did now. That in itself was rare.

"You know what?" Xena asked.

"What?" Hercules asked.

"I think I would have just died that night if it had been a girl. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't have minded having another son, but ever since me and my mother developed a bad relationship I just had to have a girl if I ever had kids," Xena confessed." The worse part about it all is even though I never checked before the midwife took the body away I think it was a girl."

Xena started crying all over again as her emotions just ran free. Hercules tried to comfort her the best way he knew how. She got a handle on her emotions enough to fall sleep. He gently lifted her up without removing the blanket from around either of them. He carried her upstairs to their room. He gently laid her on the bed, and put the furs over her. He tried to quietly walk out.

"Hercules." Xena called looking at him. He turned around.

"Yes?" Hercules asked. He'd tried really hard to wake her up.

"Where are you going?" Xena asked.

"To sleep in one of the other rooms I assumed you wouldn't want to share a bed." Hercules said.

"Stay with me tonight please." She said. Hercules hesitated."Besides it's your room too." He was silent and than walked back to the bed. He climbed under the covers as she held them up. She snuggled up close to him, and went back to sleep. Hercules was happy he wasn't being kicked out of the room, because he loved her and this bed with its fond memories. Soon he drifted off to sleep comfortably with his arms around her.


End file.
